Martin bretherton



(No Model.)

.M. BRETHERTON. MITER BOX.

No.V 359,663. Patented Mar. 22, 1887.

. NITEAED #STATES VPafrENfr rrrctu MARTIN BRETHERTON, W'ASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CLEMENT CRESSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA.

IVHTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,663, dated March 22, 1887,

i Application filed May 24, 1886. Serial No. 203 149. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, MAR'rIN BRErHERroN, a citizen of the United States, residiug at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Miter- Boxes, of Which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to Initering apparatus,

and the purpose thereof is to provide a miterbox in which a common hand-saw or a tenonsaw may either one be used without changein or alteration of the guides.

It is my purpose, also, to provide a miter in which the working-base shall be of wood and shall be so constructed that it may easily and quicklybe removed and replaced, whereby the saw cannot, under ,any circumstances, be injured by coming into contact with metal.

It is afurther purpose of my invention to so Construct and combine the parts composing the miter-box that one part may be permanently attached to a suitable base or support, while the other may be shifted thereupon to give the required angle to the saw, either by swinging the latter or by the application of slight force to the movable part, the exact angie of the cut being indicated to the operator by a gage upon one of the adjacent sliding parts.

My invention, finally, contemplates an iinproved construction and arrangement of the saw-guides, whereby the apparatus is simplified in operationand materially cheapened in cost, a simple attachment whereby the ordinary tenon-saw may be used for kcrfing, and novel means for connecting the saw-.guides and fastening the parts of the box, by which I obtain great strength and perfect .accuracy and promote the simplicity and ease of operation of the entire mechanism.v

The invention consists in the several novel features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and definitely pointed out in the claims annexed to thisl specification. 1

Iteferringto the drawings formingpart of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective'view of the entire machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse Vertical section. Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the parts detached-.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates one longitudinal half part of'the box, which is preferably constructed as to its body portion of a single casting having a horizontal fiooring-piece, 2, and a parallel flange, 3, both the parts last named having straight edges. Legs 4, or other similar supports, may be formed on or attached to the box-section, and upon the portion indicated above I propose to provide the legs or other supports with eyes 5 to receive screws or other devices whereby the' rear sections of the box may be permanently attached to the bench 6 or other support. If desired, the flange 3 may be provided with a shallow groove, 7, in its vertical edge, for a purposepreseutly to be shown.

The vfront box-section, la, is the counterpart in all essential respects of the section above described, differing only in the lower or foot flange, 3, being provided With a spline, 7:, which seats-in the channel 7 in the flange of the opposite section. This feature is not absolutely essential, however, since the meeting edges of these flanges may bev left perfectly flat; but the groove and spline prevent the one section of the box from riding up or departing from a true relation to the other or opposite section.

The entire miter-box is composed of` four of these sections-two in front and two in reara central space, 8, being left, within which the saw may work. Upon the two front sections, 1, are formed or attached legs or other supports, in which are journaled rolls 9, by which the front sections may easily be shifted upon the rear sections. Theseparts are connected together by tie-bolts 30, having nuts 3l upon their outer ends, and which pass through slots b10, formed horizontally between the floorpieces and the foot-fianges. 'These slots may be formed in both rear and front sections; but by extendiug them somewhat in length it will be sufficieut if they are formed in the front half-boxes only.

Upon inwardly-proj ecting ledges or shelves 2% arranged above the floor-pieces2, are laid the working-bases 11, each of which is of equal width with the ledge, to which it is bolted or otherwise secured, and extends from the outer endof one box-section 1a to the other end of the other bfront box section. The meeting edges of these working-bases 11 are flush, and so constructed as to move easily upon eachl other as the box is adj usted for the cut.

Upon one of the front sections 1a adjacent to the central opening for the saw, is cast or mounted a square boss, 12, having a central vertical cylindrical opening, which receives the rounded end of an upright, 13. Near its lower end a horizontal slot, 14, is cut nearly through the boss 12, and the footof the upright, which extends below the slot, is also ronnded and enters an opening in the base of the part 12, as shown at 15, Fig. 3. That portion of the upright which lies in the slot 11 is squared and receives the eye 1G upon one end ofa tie-bolt, 17. (Shown in detail in Fig. 4.) This tie-bolt is formed in two parts, 17 and 17, the former sliding within the latter, for a purpose presently to be shown.

Upon the upright 13 is mountedthe sawguide 18, consisting of an L-shaped block having a rectaugular opening in the shorter limb to receive the upright which fits within said opening. In the other limb of the block is cut a guide-slot, 19, extending about threefourths of the width of the block, and of such dimensions that it will admit the baek of the common hand-saw. The block-guide 18 is adjustable upon the upright 13.

About midway of the slot 19 is cut an enlargement, 20, of such size as to permit the insertion of a common tenon-saw. The position of this enlargement relatively to the guideslot 19 is not specially important, as it might be formed at the extreme uppcr end of the latter; but by giving the back of the common saw a positive support above the said enlargement more accurate work may be done with less pains.

Upon the corresponding end of the rear box section is formed or mounted a similar boss,

having a construction and function which are in all respects similar to those already described. The two uprights are connected j ust above the foot-ilanges of the box by means of the tie-bolt 17 17, the square eyes thereof fitting upon the squared portions of the uprights lying in the slots 14. As the box-sections ll` are moved or caused to slide upon the stationary sections, the two uprights will be compelled to turn through an equal are of revolntion and bring the guide-slots 18 into the same straight line, which will cross the box at an angle exactly proportioned to the longitudinal adjustment of the movable box-section upon the stationary section. In fact, the tiebolt 17 will constantly preserve the guideslots 19 in exact alignment during all possible adjustments of the box-sections.

Upon the guide-blocks 18 are mounted gagebars 21, having longitudinal slots 22, which receive set-screws 23, tapped into the guideblocks, whereby the gage-bar may be adjnsted vertically and then clamped secnrely in position. These bars extend parallel with and adjacent to each of the uprights, the arrangement being such that the lower end of each will strike upon the top of the boss 13 when the block 18 has descended far enough. These gage-bars are to be used in kerfing, and by adjusting them to the depth of the cut to be made a series of kcrfs of exactly the same depth may be made with great rapidity and accuracy.

In order to provide for the speedy and easy adjustment of the guides to any desired angle, I mark upon the edge of the shelf 2a of one of the sections a gage-seale, 24, Fig. 1, calculated to the various angles to which the miterbox may be adjustcd. This construction enables me to give an instantaneous and exact adjustment of the box-sections to any angle.

By myinvention I provide a simple, strong, dnl-able, and extremely accurate mechanism for mitering or kerfing, in which the common hand-saw or the tenon saw may be used indifferently, and having all the advantages hereinbefore set forth.

By placing the saw-guide outside of or upon one side of the upright, and thus bringing all the Working mechanism from under the Saw, I make it possible to use a common saw Without injury to the teeth either by cutting down upon metal or by wear upon one side or set of the teeth, the block-guide being only deep enough to make a perfect support and accurate guide for the saw, but leaving its teeth perfectly clear. Also, by dividing the box into four sections and connecting each pair by the wooden working-base only all possibility of injury to the tool is avoided, even should the working-base be wholly cut through by accident or carelessncss.

I obtain the adjustment bya rectilinear sliding movement of one-half the box, instead of bya circnlar motion, by which it has been customary to set the miter, and this construction is rendered possible by the extensible link connecting the uprights, by which, also, the sawguides are always adj usted into alignment upon all .possible angles.

What I claim is-- 1. In amiter-box, four separate box-sections arranged in pairs with a space between said pairs, two similar wooden working-bases connecting the front and rear sections, respectively, with each other, and an extcnsible link extended transversely beneath the box and connecting the front and rear sections, substantially as described.

2. In a miter-box, the combination, with a front and rear section sliding one upon the other, of bosses rigidly mounted on each section, uprights seated in said bosses and carrying the saw-guides, and an extensible link having an eye at each end, which embraces the lower end of each upright and adjusts the angle and prescrves the alignment of the sawguides, substantially as described.

3. In a miter-box, the combination, with a front and rear section sliding one upon the other, of bosses rigid] y mounted on the outside of each section, uprights seated in said bosses,- guide-bloeks having vertical adjustment upon IOO I ro

the angular portion of said guides, and an extensible link having its ends rigidly connected with the ends of said uprights, the guide-blocks being arranged outside of or on one side of the uprights, substantially as described.

4. In a miterbox, the combination, with four box-sections connected longitudinally in pairs,of similar Working-bases formed of wood, and adjustable supports for the saw arranged near the middle of the box, a working-space beingleft between the two front and two rear sections, which space is bridged by the wooden bases only, substantially'as described.

5. In a miter-box, the combination, with a two-part rearsection, the parts being connected by a wooden working-base and separated bya working-space, of a similar two-part front section, a rigid boss mounted on each adj acent to the working-space, rectangular uprights having cylindrieal portions which turn in said bosses, an extensible link rigidly connected with the foot of each upright, guideblocks adjustable upon the rectangular parts of the nprights, and tie-bolts which pass front and rear sections, the guide-blocks being each provided with a compound groove or slot to receive either a hand or a tenon saw, and the meeting edges of the sections'having a gage marked thereon by which the miter may be set, subsantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN BRETHERTON.

Witnesses:

CHAs. B. TILDEN, GEORGE W. BEA. 

